


tumblr shots

by afallenblackrose



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Skip Beat!
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-30
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-04-18 04:53:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 8,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4692794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afallenblackrose/pseuds/afallenblackrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All of those tumblr ficlets I've been writing in one place. Mostly Sailor Moon with the occasional Skip Beat!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Coffee Love

**Author's Note:**

> I should be writing for my other fics, but this idea just won’t leave me alone. Enjoy!

It started three months ago. Mamoru had decided not to be an idiot like he had been last semester and get a part time job straight off. Lucky for him he knew the manager of the campus coffee shop and was able to ace the interview. The manager was impressed with how quickly he flew threw orientation and decided to start him on the first day of the new semester but during a not so busy shift. 

It was rather slow and Mamoru was pretty bored, when she came in. 

It hadn’t been the first time that he ran into the blonde, he had seen her around campus and had even stopped her from face planting onto the cement, but this would be the first time that he would actually talk to her. 

“Hi, can I take your order?” He said with a smile. 

“-how are we going to survive that class?” She kept talking into her phone.

“Can I take your order?” He repeated again getting annoyed.

“-I mean, I heard that professor was bad, but I thought the reviews rate my professor were just over exaggerating…”

“Ma’am, please…”

But she continued to ignore him and kept chatting into her phone. He sighed, glad that no one else had come in behind her, but this was getting out of hand. Was it so hard to wait to have your phone conversation until after you had placed your order? Honestly…

“Hang on, a second, Rei,” the blonde said as their eyes finally made contact. “Right, can I have a venti macchiato?” She handed over her ID card. 

He took the ID from her and saw her name was Usagi. He smiled and continued to ring her up. After he had, he slid the ID back to her and went to make her drink. But she was still on her phone. 

When the drink was done he popped the lid on and called out, “Odango Atama!” 

She was in the middle of a sentence when he called out the name. She looked up with hate in her eyes. She snatched the cup from him and walked out of the store. 

It didn’t stop her from coming back, and everyday he wrote the name Odango Atama on the cup. Everyday she glared at him but didn’t say a word. It wasn’t until nearly three weeks later that she said something. 

“You know my name is Usagi.” 

“I do.”

“Then why do you keep writing Odango Atama on my cup?”

““It got your attention, didn’t it?” She opened her mouth to reply but only smiled instead.

* * *

During midterms, he let up and put ‘Buns’ on the cup instead, if only to see her smile for a few seconds. At the end of the semester they had gotten to know each other a little better, and he was surprised to find himself falling for the blonde. 

It was the last day of the semester and it had been a rather slow day when she walked in. She had a smile on her face and happily bounced up to the counter. 

“Hi, Mamoru!” 

“Hi, Usagi, the usual?” 

“You know what? Surprise me!” 

“Okay…” he trailed off and grabbed a cup before going to work. He made her a cookie and cream frappuchino and wrote something different on the cup. He placed a cap on and grabbed a straw before going to the other counter. He placed it in front of her and watched as her eyes lit up.

“Ooh, how did you know this was my favorite?”

“Lucky guess,” he replied with a nervous smile. 

“What do I owe you?”

“Don’t worry about it, consider it an end of the semester gift.”

“Aw, thank you!” She dug into her pocket and placed a bill in the tip jar. 

“Thank you,” he nodded and watched as she walked out. 

* * *

Usagi hadn’t gone very far from the coffee shop when she finally took a good look at her cup. Instead of having Odango Atama or Buns written on it like it had in the past there was something else. 

_Usako._


	2. What a Loser

_Based on this[post](http://afallenblackrose.tumblr.com/post/119224898222). I know that in the image it says ‘awesome guy’ but I tweaked it a little bit to fit the story. This is what happens when I let my mind run wild. Enjoy!_

* * *

 

It started with a fight to end all fights. Then again that was usually the norm for Usagi and Mamoru. But this fight was different. This fight was their first as a couple and it was over something so stupid that neither of them remembered what it actually was. But it was started and it was getting nasty quick.

“Why won’t you ever get over yourself, you pompous jackass!”

“Oh, wow, I love you too, Odango!” The raven haired male spat his azure blue eyes raging.

“You know that’s not the issue here! If I didn’t love you than I wouldn’t have saved you from getting brainwashed by Beryl!”

“Oh great, let’s bring THAT up again!”

“Oh, you don’t want me to bring up the eight weeks of my life that almost destroyed me as proof that I love you? Fine.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest and leveled him with a deadly glare.

“And you don’t think it destroyed me too? To know that I was so close to killing you?” “I don’t know anymore, Mamoru. But remember when we had a discussion about my perfect boyfriend?”

He winced. That was a new one. He did actually remember that conversation back when they were worst enemies. He also remembered his response… Oh. Shit.

“Do you remember what you said about the guy who would be that boyfriend?” He bit his lip knowing what was coming but she continued on anyway. “You said he would be a loser. Well, guess what? YOU are that loser.”

“Well, maybe I don’t want to be anymore!” As the words left his mouth he wished he could stuff them back in. But it was too late the words were out and his Usako looked like she had just been punched in the gut.

“Then don’t be!” She exclaimed and stalked away, tears running down her face. Within seconds he heard the door to his apartment slam closed.

What had he done?


	3. What a Loser: DDR Therapy

Misery loves it company and within hours of Mamrou and Usagi’s fight, he wasn’t alone in his apartment. 

Within an hour, Kunzite was at his door with a six pack of beer, Mina and him had gotten into a fight about something or other. Nephrite was next, also with a six pack and covered in flour. When the two had asked him about what had happened he had only grunted, “Don’t ask.” 

Zoicite came within a half hour of Nephrite, but didn’t bring any alcohol, instead he brought a bag of ice. There was a severe looking lump on his head that the other three had a feeling had to deal with a pissed off Ami and a thrown textbook. Jadeite showed up not soon after, his left hand red with blisters and a twenty-four pack of beer. 

“We aren’t going to drink all of this,” Mamoru said with a shake of his head.

“Don’t be so sure,” Jadeite said darkly. “Besides, we’re going to have some fun while doing it.”

“Fun?” Kunzite asked. “How?”

“Beer pong,” he replied. 

“Yeah, I don’t think so,” Mamoru said. “For one thing I don’t have enough cups and for the other I don’t even own a ping pong ball.”

The blonde sighed. “Okay…uh…” he struggled for an idea. “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to have the Dance Dance Revolution game would you?” 

As it turned out, Mamoru did have DDR (with two mats, thanks to both Usagi and Motoki) and the guys set it up in the living room. The rules were simple. Loser has to drink a beer. Jadeite was a lightweight and after two losses stopped even participating. Instead he had been cheering Kunzite on for the last hour. 

Zoicite wasn’t bad, but against Mamoru he had no chance. So it was the raven-haired male against his former right hand man. They were both evenly matched, until the last few rounds when Mamoru somehow kept winning. But Kunzite was determined to make the prince lose this round. 

He chose a song that Mamoru had difficulty with even when he was completely sober and watched with a sloppy grin as he winced at the selection. The song started and they both began to dance. 

Left, right, forward, back. 

Back, right, left, forward and back. 

The tempo picked up and the arrows began to fly up the screen. 

Forward, back, right, right, left, left, right and left.

Mamoru felt his sock slipping off the mat as he went down to complete the next arrow set and tried to right his balance. But it was too late. He pitched forward and Kunzite let out a whoop of victory. Jadeite and Zoicite congratulated him as they popped open a few beers. 

Mamoru sat on the floor with a grin on his face. Usagi was going to die laughing when she heard about this… His mind trailed off as he realized that the blonde wasn’t going to find about this because they were fighting and he had said somethings that she may never be able to forgive. 

“You all right there, Mamoru?” Jadeite slurred. 

“Yeah, just thinking about Usagi and how I was a total idiot tonight.”

“What did you do?” Kunzite asked. 

He filled them in on what had happened before they had shown up to his apartment. When he told them about how he said that maybe he didn’t want to be the loser Usagi wanted anymore, they all shook their heads. 

“idiot.” Zoicite said. 

“I know. It was stupid. But how do I make it right?”

“You gotta apologize!” Jadeite exclaimed. “Usagi is a good girl. She loooovesss you. She’ll forgive you. Especially if you buy her a nice big ice creaaammm.” He slumped over and started to snore. 

“He may be an idiot who can’t hold his liquor but he’s right. You have to apologize.” Zoicite replied with a shrug. “As do I.”

“Me too.” Kunzite and Nephrite said in unison. 

“What did you guys do?” Mamoru asked. “Especially you, Zoi, Ami is the most level headed girl I know. You must have done something pretty spectacular to piss her off.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” the auburn haired man replied darkly and turned away. “I’m just going to wait ‘til tomorrow to apologize, give her some time to cool off.”

Mamoru nodded knowing not to push. He looked over to the other two. 

“I might have told Makoto that her chocolate souffle wasn’t the best I’ve ever had…” Nephrite confessed with a shrug. “As soon as the words left my mouth I knew I was in for it. I should be grateful that all she threw at me was a cup of flour.”

“I might have called Mina a dumb blonde,” Kunzite mumbled as he took a sip of beer. “Thankfully I got out of there before she threw anything at me. Or tried to light me on fire like Rei did to Jadeite…”

“What do you think he did?” Mamoru asked before the four of them exchanged looks and both thought the same thing. Probably something really stupid.


	4. What a Loser: Drunk Dialing

Usagi didn’t remember how she got home after she left Mamrou’s apartment. It was all a blur of tears, anger and sadness. The night hadn’t gone much better as she refused to come down for dinner. How could she eat when her heart felt like it had been ripped out of her chest? This was even worse than when Mamoru had been brainwashed by Queen Beryl. At least back then, she knew the things he was doing wasn’t actually all him. It was the dark energy that Beryl had used to turn him. But this?

 _Well, maybe I don’t want to be anymore!_ She felt the words like daggers in her heart. How had a stupid fight, over something so stupid that she didn’t even remember what it had been about, led to him saying that? Did he really not want to be with her anymore? She didn’t even want to think about that. Not after everything that they had been through to be together. They needed each other. She _needed_ him.

She sighed and continued to stare at the ceiling, it was almost two in the morning, she hadn’t been able to sleep not when she felt like this. She listened to Luna’s muffled breathing, wishing not for the first time that she could be a cat, when her cell phone went off on her bedside table. She snatched it up and answered it before her ringtone woke up her parents. 

“Hello?” She asked.

“Usako,” that all so familiar deep voice replied.

She sat up straighter, “Mamoru? Why are you calling me this late?”

“I couldn’t sleepz,” he slurred. “Not before I apologuised you.”

Despite herself, Usagi felt a smile pull at her lips. “Are you drunk?”

“NO!” He exclaimed loudly in her ear.

“Okay, if you say so…”

“I do say so!” He trailed off for a second. “I’m sorree, Usako. I shouldn’t have sayed that I didn’t want to be your schloser anymore.”

“Then why did you?”

“I was anger, I was a baka just like you always said.”

She couldn’t help it as she giggled quietly into the phone. Drunk Mamrou was funny.

“You have beautiful giggle. Like bells.”

“Thank you.”

“So do you forgive baka?”

She giggled again. “Sure.”

“Okayz…good ‘nightzzzz,” there was a brief silence before she heard his snores come through the phone. She smiled again as she hung up and wondered if Mamoru was going to remember this in the morning.


	5. Things You Were Never Supposed to Hear

It had been a few days since the defeat of the Doom Phantom and the Black Moon clan and things had somewhat gone back to normal. Everything except for Mamoru and Usagi. Things had started out okay when they came back from the future, but it didn’t last as Mamoru started pushing her away. She didn’t really understand why, although she could hazard a guess as to what was going on in that brain of her masked hero. It was what had happened when he was under Black Lady’s control.

  
She knew that he needed to talk about it, but he wasn’t going to do that with her. And she didn’t know how to bring it up without him pushing her away even more. So that’s why she was really surprised when she came over to his apartment the next day to find him talking…to the Shitennou. Usagi put a hand to her mouth as she took in the scene. Mamoru was sitting in that black leather arm chair of his that he loved so much, and on the table next to him was a glass container with four stones in it. Hovering above them were the four generals.

  
“What troubles you, prince?” Nephrite asked.

  
“Many things,” he replied honestly as he sat back. “I think Usagi knows something is wrong. I keep pushing her away even though I don’t mean to, but how… How can I look at her, much less be with her, after what I did? I struck her with the Moonie Rod. I stole her crystal and I kissed our daughter in a way that father’s should not be kissing their offspring.”

  
“You must not be so hard on yourself, Endymion. It wasn’t by your doing that you did these things.” Kunzite said. “It was like when Metallia and Beryl had a hold over your mind. You were under their control, just like with Black Lady.”

  
“That’s the thing though, Kunzite, it wasn’t the same!” He exclaimed in anger. “When I was Endo, I don’t remember being him, it was the Dark Kingdom’s magic that coursed through me. But, with Black Lady, I remember everything. I felt myself watching as I did all these horrid things. I couldn’t stop it believed me I tried…” The raven-haired man lapsed into silence and the four guardians look over their prince with worrisome expressions. They didn’t know what to say to comfort him.

  
Lucky for them, Usagi did. She dropped her bag by the door, making the four spirits look up. They smiled when they saw her. 

“Princess,” they bowed. 

Mamoru looked up in alarm and his eyes widened when they met hers. “Usako, what are you doing here?” 

“I came to check on you, Mamo-chan. You haven’t been acting like yourself, and now I know why.” She smiled at the Shitennou who disappeared to give the two privacy. 

“You weren’t supposed to hear that,” Mamoru muttered and ran a hand through his hair. 

“And why not?” 

“Because I’m not proud of any of this!” 

“And you think by telling me the truth, that makes your proud of what you’ve done? It doesn’t, Mamoru, if anything it helps me figure out what’s in that brain of yours. And you shouldn’t feel ashamed.” 

“Oh?” He asked as he looked at her with a questioning gaze. “I shouldn’t feel ashamed that I knew what I was doing when I not only kissed our daughter but attacked you with the Moonie Rod born from our power? Oh, and let’s not forget stealing your crystal.”

“No,” she shook her head. “Because you weren’t in control of yourself when you did those things.”

“But I was still there,” he muttered and came closer to her. He enveloped her in his arms. “I hurt you when I swore I would never…that will always haunt me and you should hate me for what I did.”

“So, does that mean you should hate me for what I did when I wasn’t in control of myself?” 

With a deeper frown, Mamoru pulled back and looked at her. “What you did?”

She nodded. “When I was captured by Demande.”

It dawned on him then that he had never asked what had happened to her when that bastard white prince had taken her. It scared him now to even ask. “Usako…”

“Like you, I wasn’t in control, he immobilized me somehow, and he kissed me. So, does that mean you should hate me?”

Understanding rushed through him as he realized the guilt that he had been feeling over the last few days was moronic. As usual, his golden-haired angel was right. He hugged her close to him again. What would he ever do without her? 


	6. Come Over Here and Make Me

Kyoko hadn’t been sociable since her eye-opening conversation with the President. And she was glad that she hadn’t seen anyone, especially a certain someone who had been on her mind for the last forty-eight hours. Although, he had called a few times. Probably wondering why he hadn’t seen her around. But thankfully it was easy to ignore those calls. Seeing him however… She didn’t know what she was going to do when she did in fact see him, which in their line of work was inevitable. She sighed and continued walking down the street. 

Her mind was so far into the clouds that she didn’t notice a familiar car that had pulled up beside her. 

“Mogami-san?” That all too familiar voice asked. She nearly jumped out of her skin. She so very slowly turned her head and met his eyes. 

“Tsuruga-san, hi,” she replied with a fake smile on her face. He was the last person she wanted to run into…

“Are you all right? You haven’t been answering your phone lately.”

“I’m fine, just busy.” The lie came out too easily from her mouth.

He frowned, which made her heart sink. She didn’t like it when he frowned. But not as much as when he… “You’re not lying to me, are you, Mogami-san?” There. There was the smile that sent shivers down her spine. It was the smile that hid his anger underneath. The one where he knew she was lying. She hadn’t seen it in a while and now was not a good time to see it.

“Of course not.” She scoffed wishing she felt more confidant than she did. 

“You are. Now, tell me the truth, what’s going on?”

She didn’t know what came over her…okay, that was a lie, she did know what came over her, or more accurately who. It was Setsu who gave her the confidence she needed to say, “Why don’t you come over here, and make me?” 

The words shot out like a bullet and the silence that followed was deafening as Ren took a second to process what she had just said. She just stood there flabbergasted, hoping that he wouldn’t do as she suggested. He shouldn’t be able to, he was still in a running car. So she would be fine. Now if only she could get her feet to move…

That’s when she heard something…or lack of something that told her she was in trouble. Lots of trouble. Ren shut off the engine to his car. It was so silent - at least to her - she could hear him unbuckle his seat belt. And then the car door opened and he stepped out of the car….


	7. Things I Said to You When I was Drunk

*30 minutes later*

  
On shaky legs, Kyoko made her way down the street not really paying attention to where she was headed. She couldn’t think. She could barely move. Her legs felt like they were about to give out on her and she was half tempted to let herself fall. Maybe the bit of pain would bring her back down to reality, because obviously what had happened hadn’t been real. Tsuruga-san hadn’t…

She groaned and continued walking despite the heavy need to collapse. But if she fell now she would make a spectacle of herself and she didn’t want to do that. She looked around and recognized a restaurant. It was busy and public, but it would have to do. With trembling steps she walked inside. 

“Good evening, just the table for one?” The hostess asked cheerfully and looked down to consult her chart. “Hm. Actually, would you mind sitting at the bar until something becomes available? Our whole menu is available to order there.”

“Sure,” Kyoko smiled not really following what the girl in front of her was saying. She followed her anyway to the bar area and took a seat further down the bar. 

The bartender came down to her with a smile. “Hey there, what can I - whoa. Are you okay, there, honey? You don’t look too good.”

She sighed. So much for not being overly obvious. “A glass of ice water would be fine.”

“I don’t think that’s going to cure whatever is troubling you, hon. Here,” the guy placed a shot glass filled with a clear liquid in front of her. “That might take the edge off a little.”

Kyoko looked at the glass skeptically. She knew she was a lightweight and that alcohol wouldn’t solve her problem, but if it would quiet the voices in her head so she could think, what could one shot hurt?

She threw back the shot and swallowed.

* * *

It was one o’clock in the morning and Ren wasn’t having any luck sleeping. His brain was playing what had happened between himself and Mogami-san when he had gotten out of the car. Going to her. Lifting her chin… 

He groaned, swiping a hand over his face, as he thought about how easily he had let Cain Heel come out. But how could he not, when Mogami-san had let Setsu out? He sighed and threw back the covers. It was no use, there was no way he was going to be able to sleep tonight. Not with his thoughts screaming at him like this. 

He was just about to go grab the script for tomorrow’s filming when his phone went off from his bed side table. Who could…her face flashed through his head briefly, but he shook it off. Why would she be calling him at one in the morning? Especially after how they had left things? He reached over, checking the screen.   
It was her. 

He momentarily forgot how to work a cell phone in his eagerness to answer the call. “Hello?” He asked breathlessly. 

“Tsuruga-san?” 

“Mogami-san, are you okay? Why are you calling me?” 

“I wasn’t sure if you were asleep or not. I didn’t want to wake you…”

“You didn’t wake me.”

“Good. Can you come to the door?” 

“The door?” He asked his brow furrowed.

“I’m outside…”

He was moving before she even finished speaking. He hurried through his darkened place to reach the front door. Turning on lights, he unlocked the door and opened it to find her smiling face waiting on his porch. 

She flipped her phone closed with a smile. She looked different from the girl he had left hours before. Her face still held color, but her eyes were shining…with something that he couldn’t name. “Can I come in?” She asked. 

He stepped aside and ushered her in. As she walked by, he caught a whiff of something, the reason why there was a light in her eyes. It was alcohol. She had been drinking? He closed the door and took a deep breath not sure how to approach this. 

She wasn’t drunk, her words weren’t slurring, but who knew what would happen if she was slightly buzzed? He turned back around to find her already making herself comfortable on his couch. 

“Mogami-san, why are you here? And this late?” And smelling of alcohol? He wanted to add but figured to keep it to the two. 

“Because we need to talk, about what happened earlier.” She was sitting up straight and if he didn’t know any better he would have thought that she was channeling Natsu. “I am angry. I am confused. Why did you kiss me?”

 _Because I love you_ , he thought. “Because…it wasn’t me who kissed you. Just like it wasn’t you who taunted me to make you come over to my car.” 

She blinked with how logical that explanation was. It wouldn’t have been the first time that Setsu and Cain got…close. It should have made her happy that that was the reason why her friend had kissed her, but instead it hurt a little. “Oh…” she said. “Well, then, I feel stupid for coming. I should go.” She got up to leave. 

“No, stay, I won’t have you walking alone at this time of night. Besides we have filming tomorrow anyway…” 

“Okay, if you’re sure…” He smiled and led her to the guest bedroom.


	8. What are You Wearing? (Angst)

It felt like months when it had only been weeks. Weeks since she had last seen Mamoru. Mamo-chan. The last time she saw him, she couldn’t even think about because it had been so… emotional. Heartbreaking. And it probably sounded like an overdramatic teenager response, but it had been heartbreaking. 

A crystal going through his body. A crystal meant for her. His body falling into her arms. His eyes filled with pain. Losing him to the white haired general Kunzite. Not knowing if he was alright. For all she knew he could be dead. So, yes, her heart was breaking in her chest. It was a miracle that she was even moving. But moving she was. Walking to school. Walking home. Going past the arcade where it had all began. 

She could even still see him there, wearing that stupid green jacket. _Actually, wait_ … her brain screamed at her and forced her to stop and look back. When she did she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. 

It was him. Standing there. Looking at the arcade a puzzled expression on his face. In a cow print vest, black shirt and jeans in the middle of the afternoon. Just like that day so many months ago. Almost, except, what was he wearing?

“Mamo-chan?” She whispered. 

He heard her. His head tipped toward her, those familiar azure blue eyes peering in her direction. “I’m sorry, did you say something?” He asked in that haughty voice. The one that used to tease her. 

“I-I’m sorry, you just, look like someone I know,” she stammered. 

“Mamo-chan?” He asked and frowned as the name left his lips. “…Why does that name sound so familiar?” 

_Because that’s who you are!_ She wanted to cry. But stayed silent. He shook off whatever he was feeling. “My name is Endymion. Not Mamo-chan.”

 _No, it’s Mamoru._ She wanted to argue. _Your name is Mamoru. You’re the idiot who I argued with every day. The guy who wore an ugly green jacket. Not this. What are you wearing?!_ She wanted to scream, but she just stood there and watched him shake his head and walk away from her. Again.


	9. What are You Wearing? (Fluff)

Mamoru sat at the arcade counter nursing a cup of coffee. His head was pounding more so than usual and he knew why. He had gotten into another argument with Usako the night before. This time it was about the stupidest thing. His wardrobe. 

She wanted him to get rid of the green jacket that he was famous for. She even had the balls to call it ugly. They had gone round and round for hours. Both not giving up, until finally he went to sleep on the couch. He hadn’t seen her when he left this morning. 

But, as the bell above the door rang, he figured that was about to change. He turned to the door, his cup of coffee to his lips and almost choked on the liquid when he saw who was standing there. 

“Wh-what are you wearing?!” He exclaimed as he shakily put down his cup on the counter. He turned his eyes back on his girlfriend, or who he thought was his girlfriend. He barely recognized her as she stood there wearing, a green jacket, a black turtleneck, and lavender pants. 

“The outfit that you’ve been wearing for the last three years,” she said with a smile. “Not very attractive, is it?” 

Mamoru sat there stunned as he realized what she had done. She had turned the tables on him. He cracked a smile, “All right, Usako. You win.”


	10. Holding onto the Good Memories

He reached for the cup of coffee that was warm hours ago, but now at this point had gone cold. It was black and bitter, and because it was now cool, it tasted like shit. But he didn’t mind the taste anymore. This was always how he took his coffee no matter the year or season. Or how _some_ people in his life had tried to change his ways.

 _“Mamo-chan, how can you drink this stuff? It’s so vile!”_ He could hear her voice echoing in his mind, which gave him pause. How was it that he couldn’t even drink a cup of coffee without thinking about her? It had been three years…two months…fifteen days…four hours…thirty-two minutes…since he had lost her. Not that he was counting or anything. But he still thought about her despite his best efforts, because losing her had been hard. For the kingdom, for her friends, for their daughter, and for him. But they had to move on with their lives. That’s what she would have wanted.

Not that it was easy, it never was, but he had gotten up every day without her. Had looked after their daughter without her. And when a year had passed, and the pain still hadn’t faded to the dull ache he had gone for counsel from Luna.

 _“I know it’s hard,”_ she had said. _“But sometimes to let go you have to take the bad memories with the good ones. You just have to fight to hold onto the good ones more.”_

And he had fought every day since. He remembered her golden hair meatballs and all when they had walked into his life with the crushed test paper ball. He remembered fighting with her for hours. He remembered coming to her rescue so many times. And he remembered through everything – youma battles, constant teasing, and past lives – they had fallen in love. Which led to the best memory of all.

“Good morning, Papa,” the melodic bell of her voice tolled through the room. He smiled upon her as he walked in to see her. Her pink hair was in the same hairstyle as her mother’s.

“Good morning, Small Lady,” he whispered. This was the best memory of them all and the one he fought everyday to hold onto. 


	11. Suspicious Love

Usagi and Mamoru had been fighting for ages. It was part of their daily routine, it had gotten so bad, in fact that Motoki was thinking about charging admission for people to see it. But he didn’t want to, not when he knew the real reason his friend was fighting with the blonde. 

It was after one of their fights, that Mamoru slumped to the counter after watching Usagi run away in tears. “Damn it,” the raven-haired man muttered into the surface.

“You know, if you’re trying to win her over, calling her stupid and lazy everyday is not going to help,” Motoki commented as he cleaned a coffee mug. 

“I know, but it’s like my brain shuts off when I’m around her.” 

“Well, maybe you should try saying something without words?”

Mamoru sat there and thought it over, before smiling a huge smile. “You’re right, Motoki, thanks for the idea!” He got up in a hurry and left before the arcade owner could say anything in response.

* * *

The next day, when Usagi and her friends walked into the arcade they were shocked to find an envelope on the door with her name on it. Exchanging looks with the girls, she removed the envelope from the door and opened it to retrieve the note inside. 

“Usagi, what you find inside is my attempt at saying I’m sorry. Yours, M.C,” she read out loud. 

“M.C.?” Makoto asked. “Who’s MC?”

“Mamoru Chiba?” Rei replied. 

“The baka is trying to apologize to me? This I have to see,” Usagi stuffed the note in her pocket before opening the door with force so the bell clanged and stomped inside. The girls sheepishly followed her, but ran into her back because within a few feet of the entrance the blonde had come to a stop. Once they had recovered from almost falling over, they took in the arcade and let out gasps. 

Every surface was covered in rose petals, and standing by one of the Sailor V game machines was Motoki with a covered silver platter in his hands. Usagi still hadn’t moved and the other girls poked her to get her to move. They wanted to know what Motoki was holding on that silver platter. 

The blonde approached him and he smiled at her as he uncovered the platter with a small flourish. It revealed a bag of tokens and a chocolate milkshake. Usagi felt her mouth open as she noticed that there was another envelope on the platter. 

“Tokens so you can play unlimited on your favorite game. And a chocolate shake because it’s just as sweet as you are,” she read. 

“Mamoru did this?” Minako asked with disbelief. “But...”

“They’re always arguing!” Makoto finished for her. 

“This doesn’t seem logical,” Ami threw in.

“I mean, I’m not accusing anyone, but I’m just saying, it looks suspicious,” Rei added. 

Usagi nodded although inside her heart was beating fast against her ribs. Mamoru thought she was sweet? Mamoru was apologizing? It didn’t make sense and she sort of agreed with Rei. it was suspicious. And yet...there was a small part of her that hoped that maybe, just maybe, Mamoru had finally noticed her as more than just the girl he argued with everyday. 

“I’m with Rei,” she found herself saying. “I don’t believe this.”

“And I don’t blame you,” that deep voice said from behind the game machine. The girls all gasped as he walked out - in a tux and holding a red rose. “But I wished you would give me another chance.” He offered the rose to her and with a shaky hand Usagi took it. 

“Okay,” was her reply, and Mamoru let out a sigh of relief.


	12. New Year's Masquerade

Author's Notes: I participated in the UsaMamo Secret Santa over on tumblr. My giftee is [wonderfullycarriedaway ](https://www.tumblr.com/search/wonderfullycarriedaway)and she pretty much didn't have any stipulations (other than no Seiya) so I had a lot of fun writing this. There wasn't a lot of New Year's stuff (and I was watching New Year's Eve the other night) and I came up with this. It's a little bit over the 'word limit' but I think that should be okay. So I hope you enjoy!

* * *

 

Mamoru Chiba hated this time of year. It wasn’t because it was Christmas and he had bad memories from his childhood at the orphanage. No, he actually had learned to like the yuletide holiday over the last few years. The reason he hated this time of year was because after Christmas the big thing was the ringing in of the New Year and everyone just loved making New Year’s Resolutions to change themselves. Resolutions that were usually broken within the first few hours of the year.

It made him angry. They spent so much time coming up with them, the fact that they didn’t have the will to carry them out all the way made him question humanity and strengthened his belief that New Year’s – other than Valentine’s Day and Halloween – were just useless holidays. Except…over the last two years, there was one thing about the New Year that Mamoru looked forward to. His company had been hosting a yearly masquerade party on New Year’s Eve instead of a Christmas party. The employees loved it and enjoyed the mystery of the evening.

The first year, Mamoru had dreaded the event. He didn’t like schmoozing, and it looked like it was going to be one of those nights when he spotted someone he had never seen before. He didn’t get a good look at her face, but he did find it interesting that she was a blonde – with extremely long hair – and she was wearing a white-feathered mask with silver gemstones bedazzling the front. For some reason, just the one glance made him want to know her, and the sane/logical part of his brain rationalized that the only reason he wanted to know her was because he had never seen her before and he had thought that he knew everyone who worked for him.

When he finally made his way over to her, she had a small plate of food that was piled high with small foodstuffs. Mamoru couldn’t help the smile that erupted on his face. He didn’t usually see people at the company parties eat any of the food they laid out, so to see her with a plate full of food…

“Oh fu-” The blonde swallowed before she could finish. Her blue eyes – he didn’t even know what kind of blue they were – widened in shock as she looked at him. Apparently his mask hadn’t done the trick and she knew instantly who he was.

“I think the word you were looking for is fudge,” he said with an easy smile.

“Mr. Chiba, I’m…” she was flustered and it made her look even more beautiful.

“Don’t apologize,” he said. “It’s nice to see someone actually eating at one of these things. What do you recommend?”

“Um…well…” she moved down the table and he followed her. She pointed to a platter of mini éclairs. The chocolate was glistening in the low lighting and he felt his mouth water. “Considering how legendary your sweet tooth is, you should try the éclairs.”

“My sweet tooth is legendary?” He asked as he reached for a plate and plopped a few of the scrumptious looking pastries onto it.

She giggled and it sounded like jingle bells. “Well, let’s just say that I work on the first floor and I’ve only been working here a few months and I already know about your sweet tooth.”

“Wow, then that cinches it. My sweet tooth _is_ legendary, at least in this building.” Their lighthearted conversation continued throughout the night. He had even gone so far as to ask her her name. But she had refused saying that according to the rules of a masquerade the identities of the partygoers shouldn’t be revealed until midnight. And as the hours slipped by and the twilight hour neared, Mamoru couldn’t help the anticipation that rolled through him. But, of course, it wasn’t meant to be because with only a half hour left until the big reveal, someone had approached him and asked to speak with him. With a reluctant look her way he had been lead away hoping that it would be a brief conversation.

It wasn’t. The conversation had lasted way past midnight and by the time that he had pulled himself away – sans mask – the girl was nowhere to be found. For a year afterwards he had looked for her everywhere. He came down to the first floor at every shift change, but he didn’t see her. He asked for the employee records from human resources, but there weren’t any pictures with the records. He even wondered if maybe she no longer worked for the company.

So he waited until the next New Year’s Eve masquerade dance and when the night finally came he donned the same mask and waited by the dessert table with the same éclairs. At ten, she finally showed up with a different mask and dress and her hair was styled in a different way but it was still her.

She had seemed to be surprised to see him there, but the awkwardness only lasted a few moments before they went back to the relaxed and easy conversation from the year before. The same rule applied thought. She wasn’t going to tell him who she was until midnight and every time someone approached him to talk to him as the midnight hour neared he shot them a dirty look and told them that it could wait until the next week.

But again, it wasn’t to be, because this time she had been dragged away and as midnight came and went, he realized that she wasn’t coming back. In that year that followed, he didn’t search for her because he knew that it would come up as fruitless as the last one did.

This year, though, he was going to make sure that he got her name. And, if luck was with him, a midnight kiss…

* * *

In the months that followed the masquerade only one thing changed. His old secretary finally retired and human resources assigned him a new one. Her name was Usagi Tsukino and when he had first saw her back in February, he had thought that she was the angel that he had been looking for. But what were the odds that she was? Sure, she was blonde and when he had looked at her file she also had started at the same time as the mysterious girl. But it was just too easy.

So he had written it off and treated her like any other employee. She was really good at her job and she was very friendly with clients and the fellow employees. They had actually become really good friends in the months that she worked for him and it wasn’t until November – when the planning for the company’s New Year’s Eve party started – that things started to get awkward again.

He had a meeting with Motoki – his best friend and trusted employee – about the first round of preparations and Usagi had sat in to take notes. His friend had brought up how Mamoru had to make sure that he got the same éclairs that he had for the last two years and Usagi’s head had snapped up from her notebook.

“Eclairs?” She squeaked and Mamoru had looked at her like she had lost her mind and in a way she had.

“Oh, you don’t know?” Motoki had asked with a grin. “For the last two years, Mamoru keeps running into this girl at the masquerade. He has a real connection with her, but she always runs off before he can get her name or a midnight kiss.” He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

“Really?” She said without feeling and without looking at Mamoru. “But what’s with the éclairs?”

“That was their big bonding moment, two years ago. She was over by the dessert table piling up her plate when he spotted her and made conversation. When he asked what she would recommend, she suggested the éclairs. So, I have to make sure he gets the same ones and hope that it actually works out for him this year.”

“Oh, it will,” Mamoru drawled. “I’m going to make sure that I at least get her name this year even if I have to break a thousand deals to do so.”

He wasn’t sure, but he thought he heard Usagi swallow roughly before she excused herself from the room. Since that meeting though things had been awkward between them. She blushed too easily. She wouldn’t look at him in the eye and he really started to rethink his earlier thought about her being the girl that he had been looking for…

* * *

“He’s getting too close, Mina!” The blonde moaned into her hands two weeks before the party. Her friend – also a blonde – looked on with sympathy. They both had worked at Mamoru Chiba’s company for the last two – almost three – years and when Usagi had come home in February and told her that she was now working directly for the man and what had been going on at these masquerade parties Mina had known that something like this might happen.

Because her best friend had a crush on the guy that she was working for, but he didn’t know that it was her. And she was scared for him to find out that it was her… Mina didn’t understand why. Mamoru obviously liked her back, even without knowing her name, and after watching him the last few weeks he could tell that he liked Usagi too. But her friend wasn’t listening to reason and was trying to figure out a way to get out of the masquerade dance.

“Don’t you dare,” Mina seethed. “I don’t care if you show up in a burlap sack, you’re going to this party and you’re going to give him your name and if he wants to, you’re going to let him kiss you at midnight. Because if you don’t go, I will tell him myself.”

* * *

The night of the party, Mamoru was in a sour mood. Usagi hadn’t been in to work the last few days and he had been swamped. Between worrying about this party, last minute work on contracts, and worrying about why Usagi wasn’t in caused him to have many headaches. And now that it was the party he was still kind of pissed. He hadn’t seen Usagi still and he hadn’t seen his mysterious angel. Usually by this point in the party she had made an appearance by now.

When the fifth person came up to him and joked that he was hogging the dessert table, he finally left and went to find Motoki in the crowd. Obviously, the mysterious girl wasn’t coming, but that still didn’t explain why Usagi wasn’t here. He found his friend in the crowd with a blonde – he thought her name was Mina – and made his way over to them.

“Hey, Mamoru,” Motoki greeted and then looked around. “No sign of the mysterious girl, huh?”

“No,” he said dejectedly. “There’s no sign of Usagi either.”

“That little coward,” Mina murmured into her champagne.

“What was that?” Mamoru asked catching it.

The blonde swallowed the champagne in her mouth before answering. “Usagi is a coward. I told her that if she didn’t come tonight, I was going to tell you, so I am. Usagi is the mysterious girl that you’ve been seeing every New Year’s Eve.”

Mamoru stood there, but not in shock. No, as the statement settled, he wasn’t shocked to hear it. He had suspected from the start and now that he knew for certain that it was her everything that had happened since that meeting now made sense. Why she had been so nervous around him and didn’t look him in the eye. But now that he knew…

He looked at his watch and realized that he had a half hour until midnight. “Mina,” he said with a smile. “Would you mind terribly giving me Usagi’s address? I have something I need to do.”

* * *

Usagi was miserable. Tonight was the night of the masquerade dance where she was supposed to be meeting Mamoru and finally telling him everything. But instead she had woken up the Monday after Christmas with a sore throat and a runny nose. She had hoped that it would be better before the party on Thursday, but if anything it felt like it was getting worse. _Thanks, little brother,_ she thought as she blew her nose for the umpteenth time that night.

She threw the used up tissue onto the floor and bunkered down deeper into her mini fort that she had created on the couch. The TV was on with the ball dropping ceremony on low and her cell phone was nearby just in case. She had tried contacting Mina to tell her that she wasn’t going to be at the party because she was sick and not because she was being a coward about telling Mamoru the truth. But her friend hadn’t gotten back to her.

The doorbell rang, echoing throughout the whole apartment and making Usagi wince at the loud sound. She groaned and threw off the blankets to make her way to the door. The doorbell rang again before she was even halfway there.

“I’m coming,” she murmured with an eye roll. She made it to the door and had it unlocked just as the bell went off again. She opened it with a glare that instantly turned to mystified when she saw who was on the other side.

“Mamoru?” She whispered.

The raven-haired man was standing there wearing a black coat and matching gloves. In one hand he held what looked like a pastry box and he was wearing a smile that turned to a frown when he took in her appearance. “Well, now I know why you haven’t been to work the last few days. Please invite me in so you don’t have to stand in the cold any longer than necessary.”

She stood away from the door and he walked inside. While she closed the door behind him, he took in the state of her apartment and winced. “What are you doing here, Mamoru?” She asked.

“I came to check on you. I was worried,” he admitted and shrugged out of his jacket.

“Right from the party?” She asked incredulous. “You shouldn’t have bothered.”

“No one should be alone on New Year’s Eve,” he replied with a smile. “Especially when they’re sick.”

“But what about your mystery girl?”

The smile remained on his face as he offered her the box. “I brought you something.”

She took the box from his hand and opened it with curiosity. Inside was one éclair. She raised her eyes to his and saw in that glance that he knew everything. “How?” She asked.

“Your friend, Mina,” he replied. “She thought you were being a coward about not coming to the party and told me. Little did she know…” He took a step forward just as the countdown to midnight started. “But I wasn’t surprised at all.” _Ten._

“You weren’t?” _Nine._

“No,” he said his face nearing hers. _Eight._ “Because what are the chances that I would have a crush on two girls with blonde hair?” _Seven._

“A crush?” She squeaked. _Six._

“Yes, and I’m really hoping that she likes me back.” _Five._ His face was so close to hers now that she could easily kiss him if it wasn’t for the fact that she was so sick. _Four._

“She does,” she replied and he lowered his lips to hers. _Three._ “But I’m sick!” _Two._

“I don’t care.” _One._ His lips met hers. _Happy New Year!_


End file.
